PIKE ROAD, AL — Foxwood and American Sport Fish Hatchery earned first-place honors in the Town of Pike Road’s 2026 Hay, Look at Us! hay bale decorating contest, leading a group of neighborhoods, businesses and organizations recognized for their entries.
Now in its 16th year, the annual contest invites participants to turn ordinary hay bales into creative fall displays. Presented by the Pike Road Neighborhood Leaders ENHANCE Initiative Committee; the program provides hay bales at no cost and gives teams an opportunity to work together and connect with their community.
Foxwood took first place in the neighborhoods category. The Villages finished second, Abbington placed third and Kinsley received an honorable mention.
American Sport Fish Hatchery earned first place in the Businesses/Organizations category and were awarded as Rookie of the Year. Introduced this year, the rookie award recognizes the first-time entry with the highest overall score based on the contest’s judging criteria.
Pike Road MedSpa placed second in the Businesses/Organizations category, followed by Emma Court Dentistry in third. Nolan Family Pharmacy and Pike Road Dance Academy tied for honorable mention.
Corwin Realty Group received the Team Spirit Award. The award gave teams an opportunity to share their decorating experience through photos, videos and stories on social media or by email to the Town.
“The real winner here is the Town of Pike Road because of all the positive energy which Hay Look at Us creates,” Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone said. “We want everybody to be proud of their creative and innovative work. We’ll recognize them all using social media and the webpage. Participate in the People’s Choice Award and vote for your favorite. They are ALL great illustrations of the special community spirit of Pike Road.”
Community members still have a chance to help select this year’s People’s Choice Award winners. Voting is open through 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, on the Town’s Facebook page. To vote, “like” the contest photo of your favorite hay bale. Participants can add two extra votes for an entry by posting a photo of themselves with that hay bale in the comments beneath its contest photo.
With more than 80 entries in this year’s competition, the Town will recognize two People’s Choice Award winners for the first time: one in the neighborhoods category and one in the businesses/organizations category. The winners will be announced on October 26.
The decorated hay bales are scheduled to remain on display through Nov. 7, giving residents and visitors time to see the creativity and detail of the entries in person. A map of all hay bale locations is available on Facebook and with this link: https://bit.ly/HLAU2026Locations
